Her Last Piece Of Happiness

‘Hmmm… I got slightly hopeful when she said that it was a mourning for the departed…’

‘But in the end, everything is a spectacle to humans. I guess I can’t complain either, everyone has their own way of mourning. Even I…’

In the town center of Rovinj, a white haired male wearing a cloak around his neck wandered through the streets as the many stalls were being set up for the festive night ahead. This was none other than Kei himself. It appeared as though he was aimlessly wandering whilst deep in thought.

‘Heheh… I guess a coincidence like that only happens in fairy tales huh? Well, she did mention that it was a festival. So I can’t really blame myself for thinking it would be something different.’

“To the young boy over there!”

“?”

When someone had called out to him, Kei turned around to see that it was a middle aged lady, waving at him to get his attention. At one glance, Kei could tell that it was a shop set up for the festival. It appeared to be selling what looked like masks, staffs with bells hanging on them, and other trinkets.

“I can tell you are not from here! But you are just in time for the annual Festival of Remembrance!”

“So I’ve heard…”

“If you are participating, then surely you will need a mask and a bell staff!”

“Umm… Why do I need those things?”

Kei was asking out of genuine curiosity. Since he had never been to this kind of festival, he wondered if there were any symbolic meaning behind the things the lady was trying to sell him. Did it hold meaning? Or was it just a way to get his money?

“Well, if you’ve heard about the festival, then surely you must know what it’s for!”

“And what happens during this festival?”

“At the toll of the night bell, the ritual will be performed by the mysterious lady blessed by the Goddess Asteria herself!”

“Asteria… huh… I get that, but still, what does the bell and mask have to do with this?”

She proceeds to lift one of the many different bell staffs in her stall and gives it a gentle shake. From that action, the bell gave off a subtle chime. Not the loud and disturbing kind, but a gentle melody.

“When the ritual begins, we use the bells to say goodbye to our loved ones. To see them off as their souls return to the starry skies.

“And the mask?”

“To tell you that you can be anyone you want to be for that night. Your loved ones will still find you anyway.”

Kei gave off a slightly wistful smile when the lady mentioned that loved ones will still find him.

“... I see…”

Hearing the lady’s explanation, Kei now had a solemn look on his face. When she saw the face that he had made, the lady had caught on that something must’ve happened to the past of the traveler in front of her.

“How about this? I will sell you the bell staff, but I’ll add on the mask! Free of charge!”

“Eh? But wouldn't it cause a loss to you?”

“Well, to be honest, I don’t really sell these things because I want to make money. But it’s more to the fact that I want people to remember what the real meaning of this festival is for.”

“And that is?”

“Of course, to honor the souls of the departed. So here, go and honor your loved ones. No one should leave this world without anyone remembering them.”

The lady now donned a caring smile towards Kei. It seemed as though she had completely understood the meaning behind Kei’s somber look from earlier. Kei walked up to one of the masks and touched it. It was a white fox-styled half mask that only covered the top half of one’s face. The porcelain material was cool against his fingers.

“I’ll take it.”

“That will be 10 bronze coins. Thank you for your patronage!”

As Kei handed over the money to the lady, he gave a quick bow and proceeded to walk away. Happy with her first customer of the day, the lady bowed in return at the back of Kei who was walking away. She didn’t even bother checking if the amount Kei had given her was correct. When she opened her palm, she found 10 gold coins lying there instead of the 10 bronze coins she mentioned earlier..

“Eh? Sir, you gave me too much—”

When she wanted to return the money to Kei, he was already gone. It was as though he knew how much he had given her and disappeared so she wouldn’t be able to return it. In truth, Kei saw a picture frame at the back of the stall. In it, the lady who looked almost no different from how she currently looked, was carrying an infant and being embraced by a man he could probably tell was her husband.

‘Well, everybody has their own stories.’ Kei thought to himself.

“Thank you…”

As the lady walked to the back of the store, she held the picture frame up to her chest and embraced it as though it was the last piece of happiness she had left.